THE Pakistan Army Friday reacted strongly to allegations by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan against
the institution and requested the federal government to initiate legal action against those responsible for defaming the institution and its officials without any evidence.
Referring to the accusations levelled by Imran Khan immediately after an attack on him (alleging the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister and a senior officer of an agency were involved in a conspiracy to assassinate him), the ISPR, in a statement, said that no one would be allowed to defame the institution or its soldiers with impunity.
Similar views were also expressed by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb who said that the PTI leader was defaming the institutions for political benefits.
The proposition for legal action is understandable as an allegation of grave nature has been made and that too publically casting doubts about the conduct, personality and prestige of those being accused.
The accusations raise many questions as the culprit was arrested on the spot, is in the custody of the Punjab Government (of PTI) and the video recording of the accused is quite clear.
It is rightly pointed out that the PTI leadership should have waited for investigation of the incident by its own Government instead of pointing fingers towards national personalities and senior officials.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has also raised questions about the way the medical aid was delayed to the PTI leader, who was taken to a private hospital in Lahore (about 123 kilometre away from the crime scene) and the fact that no government medical officer was allowed to examine him.
It is quite obvious that the attack is being used to derive political benefits as is being done by all political players on different occasions but this should not be done at the cost of national institutions and the prestige of the country.
In this backdrop, the proposal of the ISPR to take legal action should be taken to its logical conclusion.
Those accusing national institutions should get full opportunity to explain their position and provide material proof in support of their accusations.
